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Tuesday 29 Dec 2015 - 10:33 Makkah mean time-18-3-1437
Makkah, (IINA) - Makkah witnessed an unprecedented crowd of Umrah pilgrims this week with hotels booked to capacity and worshippers praying in the courtyards of the holy mosque and along adjoining streets, Arab News reported.
Worshippers who went to the Grand Mosque an hour ahead of adhan (call to prayer), were denied entry because of congestion. They were seen praying either in the courtyard of the Haram or on the Ajyad Street and the Jabal Al-Kaaba Road.
Pilgrims from Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, Egypt, Singapore, the Philippines, Indian, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and neighboring Arab countries were seen in large numbers.
One hotelier said that a large number of local pilgrims also joined the worshippers as well because of the school holidays. “Some of them come on a week's package organized by the Kingdom's Umrah operators."
Umrah travel operators in the capital have drastically reduced the weekend pilgrim package to SR100 from its original price of SR250 during the Hajj season.
According to Hajj Minister Bandar Hajjar, the Kingdom is expected to receive more than 6 million Umrah pilgrims during the current season and the number is likely to exceed past figures.
“All arrangements are in place, and the ministry is ready to welcome the visitors to the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque”, he said.
“The ministry has deployed all its staff and personnel to serve the guests of God and facilitate their arrival to perform the religious rituals smoothly and leave the Kingdom during the coming months without any accumulation in their numbers”, said Hajjar.
AG/IINA
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